According to Reuters,
Environmental Defense and American Rivers are urging Congress to allot
more than $6 billion in annual funding to farmers who help prevent agricultural
waste from polluting land, water and wildlife. They argue that the $73.5
billion US farm subsidy bill before the House of Representatives offers
little in conservation spending.

The latest farm bill
subsidizes massive livestock operations and encourages producers to increase
traditional crop production, which uses vast amounts of fertilizer. "Most
farmers and feedlot operators are willing to do their part to clean up
America's most polluted bays, but they are repeatedly rejected when they
seek federal help," said Scott Faber, water resource expert for Environmental
Defense.

The groups blame agricultural
waste, such as livestock manure and crop fertilizer, as the main contributor
to 10 of 17 most polluted bays in the country, including the Northern
Gulf of Mexico, San Francisco Bay and the Chesapeake Bay.

The House approved
the omnibus farm bill in July, which gave grain, cotton and soybean growers
an additional $45 billion over 10 years, while conservation funding would
rise by $16.5 billion. Green funding currently gets about $2 billion a
year.

The bill is expected
to be debated when the lawmakers return to work in September.